ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — If it helps Von Miller Nation, your hero is trying.
There once was a day when Miller could get sacks without much effort. That day was pretty much every day before this year.
This year has been trying. Not even three sacks through seven games.
“I try not to talk about it honestly,’’ Miller said with a smile. “I just try and fast forward to the next game and put all our eyes on the next game. I have another opportunity to get it right this coming up game because there really is not much that I can say about it.
“I’m rushing hard. I’m trying to get there, getting pressure and stuff, getting close to them. Just not being able to make that play. As tough as it is to see, 2.5 sacks, for my fans and stuff you can only imagine how I feel about that coming into the season with so many expectations on— the highest expectation that you could probably think of, we had that.
“We still have that now and that’s where the focus is. You can’t really just be stinking thinking and standing in a dumpster. You want to think positive and just try to put your best football forward.”
Stinking thinking. If he did sit around stinking, like others have, there might be reason to wonder that if less is more, maybe more is therefore less.
Miller played in 78.4% of the snaps last year and had 14.5 sacks. Vic Fangio leaves Miller in there for 92.4% of the snaps this year and he’s on pace for less than 6 sacks. Miller has had at least 10 sacks in seven of his eight seasons. The only time he fell short of double-digits, with 5.0 in 2013, he missed the first six games because of a suspension and last game because of a knee injury.
“I feel at peace with my snaps because if I was playing 68% of the snaps and I only had 2.5 sacks it would be like, ‘We have to get Von back in the game. We need to get Von more shots at it.’
“I’ve definitely taken all the shots that I could have possibly taken, and I’ve really left it out there and done as much as I could possibly do and that’s what I got. I’m at peace and I’m just trying to play my best football and trying to put my best football forward. Around November is when I really turn it on and I get spicy. I’m hoping the next couple of games will be good ones for me.”
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